INSIDE: Working from home with young children certainly isn’t easy. In fact, it’s downright ridiculous at times. But there are some tips that can help ease your frustration and help you be more productive.
Many of us have been working from home for almost a year, whether we want to or not. Although it’s been quite a while, things haven’t necessarily been all rosy and sunny for some. This may be especially the place if you find yourself working from home with young children for the first time. while older children can be involved in their worklittle ones probably aren’t ready for many of those tasks.
My Top 7 Tips For Working From Home With Young Children
Whether you’re working from home out of choice or necessity, starting your remote work journey now or still struggling, we’ve got some simple tips to help everyone adjust to a new routine.
1. Decide if a schedule is necessary
We are all connected differently: adults and children. Some families thrive on a scheduleOthers need space in their day to move. Maybe your home isn’t one that can block out time every hour of the day. Alright. If your family only finds more stress on a schedule, do what’s best for you. Your main goal is to create less stress, not more.
2. Be strong during nap (or bedtime)
Even when working from home with young children, there are probably some parts of your day that are pretty consistent. Nap time and bedtime are probably two of those times. Instead of spending that time compressing household tasks, schedule your virtual meetings during this time frame or use this block of time to focus on that big project.
It can be difficult when working from home to “get into a rhythm” that allows us to start and finish in one setting. When you have an hour or two of uninterrupted time, make the most of it.
3. Focus on productivity
If your job is flexible and doesn’t require you to punch a clock, try not to focus on “hours worked” each day if you don’t have to. Especially if you’re coming from a traditional office environment, you can feel stressed if you don’t put in eight hours every day. Conversely, though, you may be getting more done in less time while working from home.
If your job allows you to focus on getting things done instead of being there from 9 to 5, take advantage of it. That makes working from home with young children so much easier. Prioritize each day’s tasks and eliminate things as your toddler’s schedule and attention span allow.
4. Give your kids plenty of distractions.
busy bags It can be a great way to keep young children busy while you work. And not all activities will require a lot of money or materials. The internet is full of free activity ideas for all ages. And with little ones, you can rotate toys and games to keep them from burning out on the same thing day after day.
5. Get help with childcare
We all need someone to lean on from time to time, and that’s definitely true when you’re working from home with young children. If you have a spouse or older child also on time, work out a schedule where each has time to work while the other cares for the little one. If that’s not an option, it’s time to think outside the box—or outside the house.
Maybe there’s a teenager in the neighborhood who doesn’t mind getting out of the house and earning a few bucks for a few hours a day or week. Are there other parents with small children in the neighborhood? Perhaps you could alternate arranging play dates or taking the little ones for walks around the neighborhood or to the park.
There may even be times when a long distance babysitter works. Maybe grandma and grandpa can read a story via Facetime or Zoom while you cook dinner or finish a project.
6. Use smart screen time to your advantage
No one recommends placing your toddler in front of an electronic device for several hours a day, but there are some great things on the web that can be both entertaining and educational. For example, so many large zoos across the country have started offering live streams and virtual tours. Check out this list for some great zoo cameras..
khan academy it is also a great resource of educational materials for children of all ages. From printables to Circle Time, you’re likely to find something to keep your little ones entertained for a while. And it’s free!
7. Practice grace
Many have had to accept for the first time that we don’t always work well under pressure and that we can’t be everything to everyone all the time. It’s been hard, but it’s also been hard on everyone else. Practice grace with yourself, your toddler, and other members of your team.
Know that when you have to end a call suddenly due to a small child interrupting you, chances are the person on the other end of the screen had to end it too. We have all had to embrace much more patience and understanding this past year. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing!
You may not be able to control your toddler at all times, but you can control the situation. Anything you can do to make it a little easier for both of you will pay off in dividends.
Here are some additional work-at-home tips for moms that you may also find helpful.
